HUDSON—Virginia A. Woods, 83, of Greenport, passed away Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at Columbia Memorial Hospital.
Born Oct. 24, 1926 in New York City, she was the daughter of William and Bessie (Kelly) Sheridan. She was a registered nurse at Columbia Memorial Hospital until she retired.
Mrs. Woods was a member of Holy Trinity Parish, St. Mary’s Church in Hudson.
She enjoyed sewing, quilting, reading and animals.
She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Edward Woods.
Surviving are her god-daughter, Devin Keyser of Greenport; her close friends, Susan and Paul Decker of Philmont and Justin and Sara Decker of Ghent; and many other good friends.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her brother, James Sheridan.
Burial was in Cedar Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary’s Church, P.O. Box 323, Hudson 12534, or to the Columbia-Greene Humane Society, 125 Humane Society Road, Hudson.
Arrangements were with the Bates & Anderson—Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home, 110 Green Street, Hudson.
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Beyond GED program helps young residents with the next steps
By JEANETTE WOLFBERG
HUDSON–Some Columbia County youths who have not graduated from high school are getting GEDs (General Educational Development) and proceeding on to college and/or careers through the successful Beyond GED program, reported Adolfo Lopez, assistant director of Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood (GHPN), which runs the program, in a conversation May 7.
Beyond GED is for 16-to-24-year-olds who have dropped out of high school and are not engaged in any other academic program. It enrolls its participants in a self-paced online GED preparation course, gives them laptops for keeps, provides them study space, offers them tutors and hot meals, and pays them $15 an hour for “showing up” and “consistently engaging.”
Since Beyond GED started in 2021, seven people have completed it, Mr Lopez reported. All seven got their GED, two are now in college, and five are now in the workforce. It now has 10 active participants ages 16 to 21.
Beyond GED gets its participants in a variety of ways, Mr Lopez said. Some self-refer. Some get recommended as they are dropping out of and disenrolling from high school, by their guidance counselor. Four of the current participants have come directly from high school.
The online GED program comes from KET, Kentucky Educational Television. It has courses in four subject areas: Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. New enrollees take practice tests in each subject, find out what they need to work on most, and get aware of how much they already know.
Participants do most of their coursework on their laptops, in rooms Beyond GED provides. They can come at any time the GHPN offices are open, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sometimes they study in GHPN’s quarters in the Presbyterian Church on Warren Street. When GHPN’s after school and other programs need that space, Beyond GED participants go to a quiet satellite office across the street at 364 Warren Street. On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, an on-site tutor is available to help them in person.
There are no time limits on how long the participants can take before taking the GED test. Beyond GED’s first students, in 2021, entered two to four years after dropping out of high school, and within six weeks all had passed their GEDs, Mr. Lopez recalled. The longest anyone has taken to pass their GED has been “a little over a year.” However, Mr. Lopez said, he was willing to see people take even three years. “We understand the students have their own timeline,” he said. Some have work, family, and other obligations.
Some students who go directly from high school to Beyond GED have gotten their GED before they would have graduated from high school with their class. “Traditional public school does not work with everyone,” said Mr. Lopez. Over the years, Columbia and Greene counties have had alternate high school programs, and currently, the Hudson City School District has its Bluehawk Academy. But some people need something different.
About a month before a participant takes the GED test, they get career development counseling to set them on a path for afterwards. On GED test day, GHPN gets the student to the test site. Fortunately one site is now in Columbia-Greene Community College. When students pass, GHPN celebrates with their family and friends.
Beyond GED has potential for expansion, said Mr. Lopez. If it gets more funding, he would like to handle more than 10 participants at a time, hire a full-time tutor for every day, and hire an additional staff person to help participants get not also into college but also through it.
Mr. Lopez said he has worked with GHPN about eight years. At age 17, after graduating from high school, he served six years of a seven year prison sentence. In prison, he took college courses, and his last course was in social work, taught by Joan Hunt, executive director of GHPN. Mr. Lopez was released in 2016 and has lived in Hudson since 2019.
C-GCC launches new GED testing site
GREENPORT—Columbia-Greene Community College (C-GCC) has announced the opening of a new GED testing site located within the Professional Academic Center (PAC) on campus. Serving as the sole GED testing site between Albany and Poughkeepsie, the site will expand access to essential educational resources for Columbia and Greene County residents and beyond.
With the unveiling of this testing site, individuals seeking to obtain their GED certificate will now have a conveniently located facility, eliminating the need for extensive travel. The C-GCC GED testing site offers a local solution for residents pursuing further education and career advancement opportunities.
“Establishing the GED testing site reinforces the college’s commitment to serving the educational needs of the community,” explains Carlee Drummer, president of C-GCC, in a press release. “Offering a convenient and accessible location for individuals to earn the GED certificate empowers residents to unlock pathways to higher education and career success.”
Opening the GED testing site at Columbia-Greene advances the college’s mission to bridge educational gaps and promote lifelong learning within the region. Collaborating with Columbia-Greene Workforce New York, the college streamlines the process for individuals seeking to enhance their academic credentials and expand employment opportunities.
“For many individuals, obtaining a GED certificate represents a crucial step towards achieving their academic and professional goals,” said Amanda Karch, executive director of Columbia-Greene Workforce, also in the release. “Opening this new testing site provides the necessary support and resources to help individuals succeed in their educational pursuits.”
To schedule a GED test or obtain more information about the testing site, contact Columbia-Greene Workforce at 518 697-6510.
Two top administrators exit Chatham School District
By EMILIA TEASDALE
CHATHAM–Chatham School Superintendent Sal DeAngelo is retiring effective July 1. The board met in January to begin discussing the search for a new superintendent and at a meeting February 13 they officially accepted Dr. DeAngelo’s resignation.
The district is also currently searching for a new high school principal after they approved the retirement of current Principal John Thorsen, also effective at the end of this school year.
At a special meeting on January 30, Board of Education President Frederick Hutchinson said, “We will sorely miss both John and Sal.” He pointed out that the search for the new high school principal is a challenge and looking for both a superintendent and a high school principal at the same time is “nearly unprecedented.”
The board approved Mr. Thorsen’s retirement last year effective August 9. At a January 23 board meeting, Dr. DeAngelo told the board that the search for a new principal is currently being conducted with a recently completed survey from the community. The board hopes to have a new principal starting in June or July.
As for the superintendent position, according to a statement on the district’s website posted February 22, the board has “asked the consulting firm of Castallo and Silky from Syracuse to assist with the superintendent search process. Alan Pole is the individual from that firm who is working directly with the board.” The board met with Mr. Pole on February 15 to begin planning.
Dr. DeAngelo was hired by the board in 2017 after Superintendent Cheryl Nuciforo (2009 to 2017) retired. Dr. DeAngelo came to the district from the Bethlehem Central School District in Delmar where he was the chief technology officer.
The board released a survey after the announcement of Dr. DeAngelo’s retirement. As part of the search, the board invited residents to provide input “on the desired characteristics/qualities of this important member of our school and community.” The survey is open through March 31 and can be accessed at: https://forms.gle/njrMrCUsydurb5F29 or by going to the district website at www.chathamcentralschools.com
The board also said in their statement that an announcement of the superintendent’s position will be developed and mailed out across the state by the middle of March. “This will begin the process of soliciting applications for the superintendent’s position…If you have any individuals you believe should be considered for our superintendent’s position, please send their contact information to Alan Pole at polead@yahoo.com. The deadline for the receipt of all application materials is April 19,” the statement reads.
The board anticipates offering the position to a successful candidate by the end of June and making a formal appointment in July.
“We are expecting that the new superintendent will join us in Chatham on or about August 19, though this is dependent on our finalist’s availability,” the statement reads.
At the January 30 meeting, middle school teacher and President of the Chatham Teachers Association Mark Connelly commented on the importance of the board’s superintendent search. He said that the district has had “really good teachers” fleeing to other districts over the years and that there are several retirements coming up. “We are looking for leadership, we need leadership,” he said and asked the board “to do all due diligence in finding that person for us.”
Chatham Board of Education meetings are generally held twice per month, on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in the Chatham High School Library. They are also online. For more information go to www.chathamcentralschools.com
